Record mechanism



Nov. 9, 1943. H, D. COLM'AN RECORD MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 9, 1943. H. D. COLMAN 2,334,145

RECORD MECHANISM Filed Aug. 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Howar .D. Colman ATTORNEYS 44 and finally around sprockets 28' on a shaft 28 from whence it passes into the main section of the storage mechanism. The shafts 28 and 50 are stationarily mounted in closely spaced parallel relation and are connected by a gear train shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and comprising gears 29 and 30 on the shafts 28 and 50 respectively, and an idler pinion 3|. Thus the sprockets 28' and 50' rotate in unison and together constitute a single or inner drive means for advancing the chain at one side of the loop. The opposite side of the loop presents an outer straight run which is advanced by a second or outer drive means comprising a pair of sprockets 53 on a shaft 16 suitably mounted in the frame structure.

The two drive means thus associated with the chain at opposite sides of the loop are arranged to be actuated independently and the loop will remain stationary or shift bodily in one direction or the other according to the manner in which the two drive means are operated. Thus. if the sprockets 53 are driven in a direction to move the outer run 5| of the chain upwardly while the shafts 28 and 50 of the other drive means are stationary, the car 43 and the loop thereon will move upwardly. But, if said shafts rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1 and the sprockets 53 are stationary. equal lengths of the chain will be fed into and drawn out 01' the loop and the car will move downwardly. On the other hand, if the two drive means on opposite sides of the loop operate simultaneously to advance thechain at each side at the'same rate, the car and the loop formed thereon will remain stationary.

The means for actuating the two drive means at opposite sides of the loop form per se no part of thepresent invention. As disclosed in the aforesaid'application, Ser. No. 319,047, the shafts 28 and 50 areopera-tively associated with a suitable clutch controlled mechanism (not herein shown) adapted to feed chain into and withdraw itfrom the loop 6; and the shaft '16 carrying the sprockets -53 is actuated by another clutch controlled mechanism operablefto advance the outer run of the chain upwardly as an incident'to the recordation of signals upon the chain.

Before entering the loop 6, the chain passes over a suitable blanker (not shown) operat ve to position the pins 8 uniformly for pres ntat on to a signal responsive recording device I 54 of any suitable'or preferred character, as for exam e. that shown in sa d parent application. Said recording device is herein shown as l cat d somewhat below the sprockets 53 and opera tea to record signals upon the outer run of the cha n as it is advanced u wardly by said sbimfk ts. It will be seen that if the sprockets 28' and 50' remain stationary in this operation. he cha n will be withdrawn from the lower port on of the loop between the sprockets 58' and 53, and. a

gradually increasing length thereof will be introduced into theupper portion of the loop above said two pairs of sprockets. Conversely. if the sprockets 28' and 50 are actuated'while the sprockets 53 remain'stationary. the length of chain in the upper portion of the loop will decrease and that in the lower portion of the loop will increase. In either case, the car 43 moves endwise in one direction or the other and the chain is not only maintained taut at all times but is effectually supported and guided with respect to the signal responsive recording device I54.

In some instances where a large storage capacity is not required and it is merely desired to compensate for different rates of advance at two spaced control points the shiftable loop may constitute the entire storage medium. In such event a loop 6 entirely closed maybe employed as shown for example in Fig. 5. With the construction shown in Fig. lit is of course contemplated that the signals or other intelligence recorded upon the loop 6 will be utilized at another point in the apparatus in the control of a sensing device such as a signal transmitter, the storage or record medium being in the form of an endless band of substantial length, as disclosed in said parent application. When, however, a single closed loop constitutes the entire storage medium, the stored matter is recorded on the chain or band at one side of the loop as at I54 and is utilized for control purposes at the other side of the loop, as by means of a sensing device M3 responsive to the setting of the pins 8 as in said parent application. Thus the loop 6 provides two opposite runs of substantial length with which the recording and sensing devices are respectively associated. Between these devices a variable length of storage medium may be interposed by a shifting of the car to compensate for a differential rate of advance of the storage medium at opposite sides of the loop, the two drive means, as in the preceding instance, being capable ofadvancing the chain in the two opposite runs independently or at different rates. As shown, they comprise two pairsof sprockets 54 and 55 respectively mounted on shafts 58, 51. In other respects the construction is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 4. It will of course be understood thatbefore re-presentation to the recording device I54 the pins 8 will be reset by means of a blanker of any suitable or preferred charactor.

I claim as my invention:

1. A record mechanism having, in combination, a record medium comprisin a band, sprockets engaging said band at spaced points, means for drivingsaid sprockets to maintain a constant length of band between them, a resiliently extensible and contractible member supporting the band between said sprockets in the form of an elongated loop, a recording device operatively associated witha portion of said loop, and means for advancing said portion in one direction.

2. A record mechanism having, in combination, a storage medium comprising a band, a pair of spaced sprockets engaging said band and rotatable on fixed parallel axes, a member supporting the portion of said band between said sprockets for bodily movement and forming an elongated loopof invariable length with a substantially straight run opposite said sprockets, a recording device operatively associated with the band, means for advancing said run whereby to move said member in one direction, and other means operable to drive said sprockets in a direction to move said member in the opposite direction.

3. A record mechanism comprising, in combination, a flexible record medium, a pair of sprockets engaging said record medium at spaced points to form a bodily movable loop between said points, a recording device, and means operable to advance the record medium relative to said device and in a direction to cause bodily movement of said loop in one direction, one of said sprockets being operative to cause bodily movement of said loop in the opposite direction.

4. A record mechanism comprising, in combination, a flexible record medium, a car having,

idler sprockets at opposite ends thereof, said record medium being reeved over said idler sprockets to form an elongated loop, means supporting said car for endwise shifting movement, a recording device disposed at one side of said car in operativerelation to the record medium, means ing said blocks in spaced relation, and idler sprockets carried by said blocks, a chain reeved over said sprockets and movable bodily with the car, said chain having settable elements thereon for record purposes, setting means stationarily mounted at one side of the car in operative relation to said elements, and drive sprockets engaging said chain at opposite sides of the car and adapted for operation independently to move the chain relative to said device, either with or relative to the car.

6. A record mechanism comprising, in combination, an elongated member guided for endwise movement and constituting a car, guide elements at opposite ends of the car, a record medium in the form of a band passing over said elements to form a loop closely encompassing the car, and differentially operable drive means stationarily mounted on opposite sides of the car and each arranged in operative association with said band. to control the advance of the band on opposite sides of the car, said car moving bodily when the band is advanced differentially at opposite sides of the car whereby to vary the length of the record medium interposed between said differentially operable drive means. i

7. A record mechanism comprising, in combination, a car guided for endwise movements, idler sprockets at opposite ends of the car, a chain having settable elements thereon, reeved over said idler sprockets and forming an elongated run on at least one side of the car, a device disposed adjacent said elongated run and in operative association with the settable elements of the chain, and means for driving the chain comprising oppositely disposed sprockets engaging with the chain at either side of the car, said elongated run of the chain being shiftable with the mensions and having opposite side portions at I of one of said driving sprockets at a rate different from that of the other sprocket.

8. A record mechanism comprising, in combi-'- nation, a flexible band forminga record medium and arranged in the form of a loop of fixed di least one of which presents an elongated run, a recording device, means for supporting said loop for bodily shifting movements with said run in operative association with therecording device, and means engaging the record medium at either side of the loop and operable to advance opposite side portions thereof differentially.

9. 'A record mechanism comprising, in combination, a flexible band constituting a record medium, means supporting said band to form an elongated closed loop of fixed length, said band being movable relative to said supporting means and said loop together with its supporting means being mounted for bodily shifting movement and having opposite side portions each presenting an elongated run, a recording device associated with one of said runs, a sensing device operatively associated with the other one of said runs, and drive means operative to advance opposite side portions of the loop difierentially to carry said record medium past said recording and sensing devices.

10. -A record mechanism comprising, in combi-r nation with recording and sensing devices disposed in spaced relation, a record medium in the form of an endless band, a shiftable support, said V band being mounted on said support to form a closed loop having elongated parallel side portions respectively associated with said recording and sensing devices, and drive means stationarily mounted on opposite sides of the loop and each operative to control the advance of said opposite side portions of the loop, said support moving bodily when the opposite side portions of the loop are advanced differentially and said support remaining stationary when the said sideportions reeved to form two opposing loop portions with opposite runs of substantial length, vstationarily mounted recording and sensing devices respece ftively associated with said two runs, and differentially operable means for advancing said two runs, said idler rolls shifting to compensate for the differential advance of opposite runs.

HOWARD D. COLMAN.

car and relative to said device the operation 

